Monthly Archives: November 2014

It takes a whole team to make a school a safe and happy place for children to learn. Many school support employees are tucked away behind the scenes – the unsung heroes of our children’s education. So for one special day we want the focus to be on members of our school support staff.

On Friday 28th November 2014, UNISON wants everyone to celebrate the contribution of school support staff – to say “thank you” for all that they do. Head teachers, teaching staff, parents, carers and children can get involved in making their support staff feel special.

Get children involved in activities to show how they value their school support staff – like making “thank you” cards, drawing pictures or doing a quick quiz on the various support roles in your school. Hold a special assembly and highlight the good work that school support members do.

Let us know what’s going on in your school and we’ll publicise it to let our school support members know how much they are appreciated.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation tonight hosted an online link up between three Hamiltons across the globe – Scotland, Canada,and New Zealand.

Although separated by thousands of miles the stories couldn’t be any more similar. We are all fighting to expand the take up of the Living Wage through out both the public and private sectors not only as a way to eradicate poverty but also as a logical way to boost the economy.

Sarah Wiktoski from the Poverty Alliance highlighted the Scottish situation and the particular success within the public sector.

In the meantime the inclusion of the consolidation of the Living Wage throughout local government in Scotland in the recent improved pay offer is a great achievement.

The results of the consultative ballot for local government UNISON members in Scotland was a resounding yes to accept the revised pay offer, with over two thirds of the votes for agreeing to the offer.

Strike action for the 21 October had been suspended, whilst members were consulted on the offer… an offer that would commit the employers to the future participation in the agreed bargaining machinery, the consolidation of the living wage and the deletion of spinal column point below the level of the living wage.

Whilst at South Lanarkshire Council, the living wage had already been consolidated, this was not the case for the majority of local authorities, so this is a great achievement for UNISON members throughout the country.